krioker



(No Model.)

B. KRIOKER.

BOX OPENER.

No; 326,909. Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

N. FZTERS. Fholrl-lkhogmphar, Wuhinglm D. C.

ENGELBERT KRICKER, OF ESSEN, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

BOX-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,909, dated September 22, 1885.

Application filed August 11, 1884. (No model.) Patented in Germany December 12, 1853, No. 27,355; in England December 17, 1883, No. 5,764; in France December 17, 1853, No. 159,205; in Anstr-a-Hungary DJCJUJLB! 21. l85i, No 47459 and No. 50,5 7; in

Belgium January 3, 1884, No. 63,746; in Denmark March 29, 188-1,

and in Spain May 31, 1884, No. 6,170.

No. 5-21; in Sweden April 9, 1884; in Norway April 1'2, 188;,

To all whont it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ENGELBERT KRIoKER, of the city of Essen, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Box-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

The box-openers heretofore in use were formed of a pronged lever with tapering ends, the prongs of which were inserted between the body and lid of the box, the handle being forced down so that the lid was lifted away from the body. This injured the edge of the box and caused frequently the splitting of the lid.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved box-holder by which the boxes can be opened with great facility and without any damage to the lid or body.

The invention consists of two pronged and tapering levers which are fulcrumed to each other, the lower lever being provided with a hammer which serves as a heel, while a band spring is interposed between the handles of the levers, so as to keep the tapering ends in one plane with each other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 represent side elevations of my improved boX-opener, showing the same in different positions. Fig. 3 is a plan of the forked ends of the levers; Fig. A. avertical transverse section on line my, Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a perspective View, showing the instrument applied to a box for opening the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

My improved box-opener is made in the shape of a pair of tongs, with this difference, that in place of the jaws of the tongs two levers, A A. with pronged and tapering ends S and S S', are used, which when operated move in opposite direction to the tongs. The levers A A are connected by a fulcrum, (L. The forked end S S of the upper lever, A, is made wider than the forked end of the lower lever, A, so that the latter end fits into the space between the forked end S S, in which position both ends are arranged in one plane and form one continuous wedge when the box opener is in normal position. A band-spring,

F, is riveted to the lever-handle A, and bears by its curved upper end on the handle A. The prongs S S of the upper handle, A, are connected by a short bridge, B, which latter fits into a recess of the pronged end S and prevents the prongcd end S S from moving the pronged end S. The narrow recess b of the prong S serves for the purpose of pulling out nails.

To the lower handle, A, below the fulcrum a, is cast a block, 0, which forms a hammer for driving in nails, and which serves as a heel for supporting the implement.

The boxopener is used as follows: The pronged ends S and S S are applied while in closed position between the body and lid of the box, which are then separated from each other by forcing the handles A A together. The pronged ends will thereby be moved away from each other and exert pressure upon the surface of the body and lid, but without injuring the edges of the same.

When the device is applied as shown in Fig. 5, the lid is opened and the nails pulled out if sufficient pressure is exerted on both handles.

If it be desired to prevent the forcing of the nailheads through soft-wood lids, the device is reversed and the narrow end usedfor lifting the lid. The slit 1) embraces the nail, so that the same is pulled at the same time with the lid without injury to the boX or lid.

Having thusdescribed myinvention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A box-opener consisting of two fulcrumed and spring-actuated handles, each handle having a pronged and tapering end, of which the end of one handle is fitted into the wider end of the other handle when in closed position, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a handle, A, having a pronged and tapering end, S, a handle, A, fulcrumed to the handle A, and having a pronged wider and tapering end, S S, the prongs S S being connected by a transverse bridge, B, that fits into a transverse recess of the end S, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the handle A, having a hammer-block, C, and a pronged tapering and recessed end, S, a handle, A, fulcrumed my invention I have signed my name in presto the handle A, and having a Wider pronged ence of two subscribing witnesses. and tapering end, S S connected by a transverse bridge, B, and a band-spring, F, at- 1 KRICKER' 5 tached to one handle and bearing upon the \Vitnesses:

other handle, substantially as set forth. HEINRICH LIPPERS,

In testimony that I. claim the foregoing as HERMANN KUHFUS. 

